"Around the World"
Single by East 17
from the album Steam
Released2 May 1994 (1994-05-02)[1]
Length4:37
LabelLondon
Songwriter(s)Brian Harvey, Tony Mortimer, Matt Rowe, Richard Stannard
Producer(s)Richard Stannard
East 17 singles chronology
"It's Alright"
(1993) 		"Around the World"
(1994) 		"Steam"
(1994)
Music video
"Around the World" on YouTube

"Around the World" is a song by English boy band East 17. Written by Brian Harvey, Tony Mortimer, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, it was released on 2 May 1994 by London Records as the lead single from the band's second album, Steam (1994). The song became their fourth top-10 hit in the United Kingdom, charting at number three on the UK Singles Chart. It was a top 10 hit also in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Zimbabwe.

Critical reception

In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote that on the song, "[The band is] returning to the slick dancefloor balladry that first brought them to the Top 5 in the shape of "Deep". From here they can clearly only go from strength to strength."[2] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "East 17 has got the Walthamstow blues. The teen stars with street credibility can be "softies" too, suffering from homesickness while touring abroad as we learn from this ballad."[3] Alan Jones from Music Week gave "All Around the World" four out of five, viewing it as "a polished, shuffling vehicle for the usual East 17 posturing and trademark touches, with a slow rap to the fore and a subtle melody, Just what fans ordered, in fact."[4]

Stuart Bailie from NME wrote, "The new record would also suggest that East 17 are getting soft — a sappy tour bus ballad about how your soul can only truly feel at rest in Walthamstow."[5] Leesa Daniels from Smash Hits gave "All Around the World" five out of five and named it Best New Single, praising it as "incredible". She added, "Tony and Co have come up with a stunningly gorgeous record that has the slow, funky vibes that made "Deep" such a brilliant song. Never, ever has a single deserved to be number one as much as this one does. This proves once and for all that East 17 are, musically, the best band in Britain. Amen."[6]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Around the World" was directed by Katie Bell[7] and released in May 1994. It shows the band performing underground and also in a forest. In between a female dancer appears, wearing a hat and dressed as the globe. The video received heavy rotation on MTV Europe[8] and was A-listed on Germany's VIVA in June/July 1994.[9]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[36][pages needed] Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] Silver 200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Music Week. 30 April 1994. p. 21. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  2. ^ Masterton, James (8 May 1994). "Week Ending May 14th 1994". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  3. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 21 May 1994. p. 20. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  4. ^ Jones, Alan (7 May 1994). "Market Preview: Mainstream – Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 16. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  5. ^ Bailie, Stuart (14 May 1994). "Singles". NME. p. 21. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  6. ^ Daniels, Leesa (27 April 1994). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 49. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  7. ^ "East 17: Around the World". IMDb. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Station Reports > MTV Europe/London" (PDF). Music & Media. 2 July 1994. p. 26. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Station Reports > VIVA TV/Cologne" (PDF). Music & Media. 18 June 1994. p. 22. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  10. ^ "East 17 – Around the World". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  11. ^ "East 17 – Around the World" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  12. ^ "East 17 – Around the World" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  13. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 31. 30 July 1994. p. 10. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 24. 11 June 1994. p. 12. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Adult Contemporary Europe Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. 30 July 1994. p. 14. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  16. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  17. ^ "East 17 – Around the World" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  18. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 14 July 1994. p. 16. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  19. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography East 17". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  20. ^ 3 weeks at No. 1 (17 May 1994, 24 May 1994 and 31 May 1994)
  21. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 28 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "East 17".
  22. ^ "2019 09 01 – M-1" (in Lithuanian). M-1. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  23. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 29, 1994" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  24. ^ "East 17 – Around the World" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  25. ^ "East 17 – Around the World". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  26. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  27. ^ "East 17 – Around the World". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  28. ^ "East 17 – Around the World". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  29. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  30. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 21 May 1994. p. 4. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  31. ^ "Major Market Airplay – Week 2/1994" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 24. 11 June 1994. p. 23. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  32. ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  33. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1994" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  34. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1994" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  35. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1994". Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 9.
  36. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  37. ^ "British single certifications – East 17 – Around the World". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
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